Well apparatus



Nov. 26, 1929. F. c. KELLEY WELL APPARATUS Filed March 24. 1926 f Ilatto/www sible.

Patented Nov. 26, 1929 UNITED STATES PATsT ICE FRANK C. IKELLEY, 0F LONGBEACH, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR OF ON-HALF TO ELMER l W. RGGLE, 0F LOSANGELES, CALIFORNIA l WELL APPARATUS Application led March 24, 1926.Serial No. 97,019.

This invention relates to well apparatus of the type which is useful inoil well practice and has for a particular object the provision of novelmeans for preventing sanding of the various pump parts and so thatcirculation of oil from the oil-bearing sands through the tubing andcasing may be at all times maintained.

At the present time considerable difficulty is experienced in thesanding up of wells, the sand bein so heavy as'to prevent properoperation of the standing and working valves, with the result that thepumping enliciency of the well is decreased, which of course woulddecrease the normal flow of oil at the surface of the well.

This invention particularly relates to the type of pump known as themacaroni style in which the fluid is pumped through tubular pump orsucker rods and delivered at the surface through a flexible or jointedconnection to storage.

An object of the present invention is the provision of means wherebypressure is built up within the tubing in accordance with use andrequirements so that a continuous circulation is maintained down throughthe tubing and up through the hollow pump rods and sanding of the wellis practically impos- The in -ventor is aware that certain methods arenow in use in oil well practice which utilize steam pressure, butsuchdevices are open to the objection that they are not automatic andrequire the attention of an operator to build up the steam pressure 1ncase the oil does not flow properly.

With the present invention the device will build its own pressure inaccordance with requirement, and to that end the device may beconsidered automatic. For instance, if a pressure of 600 pounds isrequired to maintain free circulation, it may so happen that after acertain period of use greater pressure 1s required, say 1400 pounds,.andwith the present device the pressure would be built up to the requiredamount so that a free Vcirculation of the oil would be maintained.Obviously, if 1400 pounds were required for a duration of time kand thenthe well owner required pounds, vthe device would function automaticallyfor this reduced pressure, and without the necessity of the operatorbeing on the ground. A Y

Other objects of the invention will appear as the specification proceedsand the invention contemplates among its objects th-e provision of wellapparatus which is fool-proof in operation, automatic, and which will.effectively prevent sanding of a well.

With the above and other objects in view,

the invention consists in the novel and useful.

provision, formation, construction, association and relative arrangementof parts, members and features, all as shown in certain embodiments inthe accompanying drawing, described generally7 and finally pointed outin the claims. Y V

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary elevation showing a well derrick, tank andcasing associated with my invention;

Figure 2 is afragmentary vertical 'sectional view showingdetails of myinvention; and,

Figure 3 is a further detail of the invention.

Corresponding parts in all the figures are designated by the sam-ereference characters.

In the drawing, A designates as an entirety, an oil well rig with theusual pumping means and casing within a well hole, and B designates asan entirety the improved meansifor maintaining a high pressurecirculating system in the well casing, tubing and sucker rods, the meansB embodying the invention.

The usual well casing 1, of which there are several strings as shown inFigure 1,.is provided, and within the well casing is tubingQ, as well ashollow pump or sucker rods 3. The

casing is joined with the usual casingihead" in a well derrick 5, andpiping 6 is flexibly connected with'the pump orsucker rodsl asV i shownat 7, whereby oil pumpedto the surface of the well may be conductedto asuitable reservoir 8. The usual yplunger pumps maybe utilized, and inthis connection walking beam 9 mounted on a Samson post 10 is driven bymeans 11 to raise and lower'the hollow sucker rods through theconnecting rod vv12.V All'of this is old and 'in general use at thepresent time, and the part of the invention .that is new' relates tothemeansB whichincludes a ico v pump a adapted to be actuated bymovement y walking beam 9, as shown at 22.

Vterior the cage,.as shown at 35 and 36.

of the walking beam 9. This pump a is of ordinary construction includinga cylinder 13, one end of which is provided with a valve 14 with avalved piston 15 within the cylinder. The end of the cylinder adjacentthe valve 14 is screw-threaded as at 16 for reception of a pipe 17 andpiping 18 connects with the pipe 17 and 'enters the reservoir 8 with anopen end of saidpipe adjacent the top surface of any oil within the saidreservoir as shown at 19. In fact, a float 2O is adapted to carry suchopen end and a pipe length is mounted for inove ment in accordance withoil level. This open y' end of the pipe is maintained adjacent the topVsurface so that oil which is pumped through the piping 6 will allow thesand within the same to settle and fresh oil will be received in thepiping 18. The piston 15 is provided with a piston arm 21, which arm isjoined with the Thus up and down movement of the walking beam willactuate the pump, an upward movement of the walking beam drawing oilthrough the piping 18 past the valve 14 and downward movement of thewalking beam closing the valve in the piston 15 so that upon a reversemovement of the piston oil above the valve piston 15 will bepumped fromthe cylinder 13, through piping 23, which piping communicates with atubing head 24 above ythe casin head.

Referring particularly' to Figure 2 the tubing head is of the usualconstruction and acts as an anchorage for the tubing 2, with the hollowsucker rod 3 passed through such tubing head, andthe usual packer orgland 25 surrounding the periphery of the hollow sucker rod where itpasses through the tubing head. The tubing extends downwardly within thewell and is joined to a collar 26 which in turn carries a pump barrel 27Vithin the pump casing is a liner 28 spaced from the pump casingslightly and the liner in turn has received within the same a plunger29. This `plunger has connected thereto a plunger valve 3() constitutingthe working valve and the. cage 31 of such plunger valve is slightlyspaced from the inner'surface of the liner 28. A: rod or barV 32transversely spans the gap in the cage 31 so as to limit upward movementof the ball 33 of such valve. Above the rbar 32 is a hollow rod 34 whichspans the gap of.,

suoli cage and likewise has communication eX! Secured to this hollowtube is a small valve 37.

v This valve is similar to the standing valve Vwith the bore inthe vtube34. @The hollow sucker rodis secured .by vscrew threading or through thepiping 23. This control valve' comprises "the following elements: avalve housing 45 having a valve seat upon which is a Vballvalv'e 46,piping 47 communicating with the T,' and A with such valve, and abovethe valve is other piping 48 which may lead back to the reservoir 8. Atone side ofthe valve housing or casing is an arm 49, and pivoted to:

such arm 49 is a lever 50 adapted to carry a seat and allow the fluidbeing pumped to be passed through the .piping 48.

. The-operation of the device is as follows:` Vlien the walking beam isin operation andv luid is being pumpedfrom the well, freshv oilisconstantly being pumped through. the piping 18 past the pump a,through vthe piping 23 and down within the. tubing 2.

This oilin turn is pumped under pressure.

into the space included between the cage l31 of the working valve andthe liner, and liliewise through theopenings 42y to the space includedbetween the barrel and the liner."

This oil is fresh and clean and thed oilthat is received between thebarrel and the liner is Y allowedto contact with the plunger 29 to`lubricate `the surface between the plunger and the liner through themediumof open ings 53fin the said liner. Likewisefresh oil underpressure is passed inwardly of the hollow rod 34 and lraises the ball'ofthe valve 37 so that fresh oil inv turn-is pumped `up-rlwardlythrouglitlie-hollow sucker rod along:

with the oil being lifted from the-oil-bearing sands.` Itis thus evidentthat av sanding up of the Vworking valve is .practically impossible ofaccomplishment. If .we assume that the oil being lifted is very` sandy,and there is a tendency for the sandte settle and closeY theworkingvalve, pressurewill gradually build up in the line as the walking beamop-Y erates, sorthat the fresliuoil `being .forced-` through the pipe23and downwardly Vwithin the tubing, will'finally reach a pressuresufficient to force the sand thaty has accumulated upwardly, and thusrelieve thesandedcondition of the hollow sucker rods andrpermit theworking valve to again function properT ly. To this'end the weight 51can be adjusted so that any degree of-pressure desired may be attained,and it is obvious vthat such a device would be automatic, not requiringthe attention of the operator, as the Weight may be placed at a pointWhere an excess of pressure beyond the setting of the Weight might besuiicient to burst a pipe so that if a certain pressure is exceeded, thevalve Would open to prevent the piping being broken. In any event, ahigh pressure circulating system for Wells is detailed by theconstruction just described, and one that will function continuously andWithout attention. lt is obvious that various changes and modificationsmay be made in practicing the invention, in departure from theparticular showing of the drawing, Without departing from the truespirit of the invention.

Having thus disclosed my invention, l: claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent: l. Improvements in oilf Well apparatus, having a tubingWithin a Well hole, a pump Within said tubing and Working and standingvalves associated with Vthe tubing and said pump, including a Walkingbeam adapted to actuate said pump, a second pump associated With theWalking beam and a con nection between said second pump and the spaceabove said Working valve, there being means for supplying fresh oil tosaid second pump and Wherebyvvhen the Walking beam is operated the saidpumps are operated, the first pump to lift oil from the oil-bearingsands and the second pump to force clean oil above the Working valve tomaintain the Working valve operative and prevent a sanding up thereof.

2. lmprovements in oil Well apparatus, having a tubing Within a Wellhole, a pump Within said tubing and Working and standing valvesassociated With the tubing and said pump, and a Walking beam adapted toactuate said pump, including a second pump associated With the Walkingbeam and a connection between said second pump and the space above saidWorking valve, there being means for supplying fresh oil to said secondpump and whereby when the Walking beam is operated the said pumps areoperated, the first pump to lift oil from the oil-bearing sands and thesecond pump to force clean oil above the Working valve to maintain theWorking valve operative and prevent sanding up thereof; there beingautomatic means for regulating the pressure of oil pumped by the secondnamed pump.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

FRANK C. KELLEY.

